Ship hull construction



April 27, 1948. A. H. LACKIE 2,

SHIP mm. CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FORECAST LE 8 U LKH EAD u 2 MAIN DECK 2 -T W E E N D E c K TANK TOP April 21, 1948.- A, H, ACK 2,440,408

SHIP HULL CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 4, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 2?, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHIP. HULL CONSTRUCTION 7 Arthur H. Lackie, Duluth, Minn. I Application August 4, 1944, Serial No. 548,051

Another object is to provide a suitable type of expansive joint for such purpose.

Still another object is to so position such joints in the hull of a ship as to derive the best possible safety results therefrom.

Other objects and advantages may appear in the further description of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, forming part of this application, and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Fig. l is an enlarged thwartship sectional View of a ships hull, looking forwardly therein,

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the interior frame and shell structure of a common steel ship hull, except at the forward starboard curved quarter thereof, where an improved installation of shell framing is illustrated, and

Fig. 3 is a part sectional and elevational view of one form of expansive joint deemed practical for the purpose described.

As is well known, the many different types and shapes of ship hulls vary greatly in their interiorly located more rigid frame structure, said structure usually including both fore and aft and thwartship girders as well as bulkheads that are rigidly united and in much less need of expansive or yieldable connections, one reason being that said frame structure is more usually subject to a uniform temperature than the skin or shell structure, which latter is more subject to varying tempera tures and especially the upper parts thereof. The inner structure has a substantially constant temperature the year around, While the shell structure is subject to changes varying from, say, 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the drawings, I represents the skin or metal shell plating of the hull of a common marine ship or vessel, and 2 the vertically disposed side frame members to which the shell plates are either welded or riveted, the former now almost universally practiced in shipbuilding.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated diagrammatically the more rigid and substantially rectangularly shaped interior frame structure of the hull of an ordinary vessel, the fore and aft girders being 1 Claim. (Cl. 114- 79) shown at 3-3, and the thwartship girders or bulkheads being shown at 44. i

It is well known that in uniting two or more metal plates, either by riveting or welding, care must be taken to bolt or tack them firmly in their ultimate desired relationship, and as nearly as possible in their natural preformed shape so as to avoid abnormal stresses by expansion and/or contraction as the union of parts progresses, this being a'well known requisite in ship hull construction to avoid as much as possible unequal or opposed stresses especially in the shell of the hull so subject to varying temperatures in different climates and circumstances. 7

Ifthe hull of a vessel is not so properly constructed, and experiencing at all normal times more or less strains and stresses due to improper union of parts, especially in the shell portions thereof, then'obviously under further unequal stresses, due to changes in temperature, when such warping shell is rigidly fixed to the unyielding interior frame structure, fracture is liable to occur resulting in serious damage, or worse. 'f

Undoubtedly, practically all metal hulls" are subject to fracture due to unequal stresses of this character, and to avoid same, I propose to provide suitable expansive joints or connections for installation at the four most vital parts of a ships hull to wit; the two forward major opposed portions 5 and 5, and the like after opposed portions 1 and 8.

One type of joint deemed practical for such purpose is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and may be aptly called a hydraulic expansive joint, comprising a. cylindrical unit such as indicated at 9 and rigidly fixed to one end of one of the thwartship girders as indicated at Hi. This cylinder is formed with the chamber II in which is mounted the reciprocal piston l2 fixed to the innermost end of the piston rod l3, and the opposite end of the piston rod is plvotally mounted upon the through pin [4 supported between a pair of suitable brackets l5 fixed to the inner edge of the side frame member 2, and to the outer edge of said frame member is fixed thereto the skin or shell I of the hull.

Within the chamber II of the member 9, and

between the head of the piston l2 and the opposite end of the chamber is installed the suitable expansive helical spring [6 for the purpose of counteracting the normal inward pressure against the shell of the ship caused by the varying h drostatic head of the water therewithout. The chamber H is so connected with the excess reservoir ll of oil being used in the cylinder to insure adequate supply, by gravity, for same against any possible leakage, and to compensate for the varying capacity of the chamber upon the pitman side of the piston. The piston I2 is provided with a comparatively small relief hole through the upper portion as indicated at l8 so that the pressure of the oil is automatically gradually equalized on both sides of the piston, with the reservoir being exposed to atmospheric pressure. The small through relief hole I8 is spaced materially from the inner surface of the cylinder to prevent its being clogged by any possible foreign matter in the oil. Thus, obviously, there is provided an extremely gradual yieldable connection of the united parts.

It will be noted that provision may be made for auxiliary vertical support, if necessary, for that portion of the interior frame structure of the hull indicated by the thwartship girders III by a protruding extension as indicated at (9 which is made to overlap and slidably rest upon the upper surface of the brackets as relative movement of the parts take place.

Thusis provided one form of yieldable hydraulic means for connection between the interior structure of the vessel and the shell framing thereof, but forming a substantial, dependable union of same.

It is to be noted that one of the principal fea-- tures of the instant invention is the novel location of such a joint in an ordinary ships hull, to wit: the four vital major curved portions referred to above.

In the cross sectional view, Fig. 1, taken just abaft the major arcuate portions of the bow of the hull, the shell framing is suggested as at 22 on both sides thereof as well as the forecastle bulkhead '20 which is found in some types of Vessels. Upon the left side of said view is illustrated the common manner of permanently fixing the deck frames 2| of the between deck and 22 of the main deck, while at the right side of said figure is illustrated, as by arrowheads, approximate location of proposed expansive joints, that is, illustrative of suitable location where expansive joints may be installed and result in maximum efllciency of protection of the entire hull structure. At 2323 are illustrated fore and aft girders, or such locations may be occupied by vertical stanchions, or the like, forming part of the interior frame work as described.

In Fig. 2, and at the foremost starboard quarter of the hull illustrated, I have shown the shell framing 2 as extending inwardly as nearly as possible perpendicularly to the arc in the shell I of the hull instead of directly across same as shown upon the opposite side of the hull and which may be preferable to the latter in some instances.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an expansive joint for ship hull construction having side frames and thwartship internal girders; an inwardly projecting fiat topped bracket fixed to one of said side frames carrying a piston rod pivotally mounted on said bracket, an elongated flat extension member fixed adjacent the end of one of said girders with its free end resting upon the flat surface of said bracket, a. cylinder fixed to the end of said girder carrying a piston therewithin cooperatively engaged with said piston rod, and a fluid supply for said cylinder.

ARTHUR H. LACKIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 106,854 Mosley Aug. 30, 1870 314,456 LePage Mar, 24, 1385 1,137,627 Jennings Apr, 27, 1915 1,219,692 Beltrami Mar. 20, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 461,132 Great Britain Feb. 10, 1937 

